GM Canada pledges $50,000 to help Syrian refugees

General Motors Canada is lending a helping hand to Syrian refugees as Canada welcomes displaced families.

GM Canada pledged $50,000 to the Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees hosted by Community Foundations of Canada.

The fund was established to provide housing, job training and skills development support for the 25,000 refugees who will be welcomed in communities across Canada in the coming months.

The automaker is also encouraging its employees to match its donations in an employee donations fund. That could see the $50,000 tripled.

“We are witnessing an outpouring of community support across Canada which recognizes the importance of a coordinated and thoughtful approach to refugee resettlement”, said Steve Carlisle, president and managing director, GM Canada.

“GM employees and our dealers across Canada will work with Community Foundations of Canada and its partners to offer support, work, skills training and apprenticeship opportunities to support these new Canadians.”

GM also announced that it would link qualified refugees to local GM Canada dealerships to match them to training programs.

GM will provide new employment opportunities through GM’s Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP).

ASEP allows GM dealers to “grow their own” technicians by selecting high potential candidates and providing them with opportunities to turn theory from the classroom into hands-on experience at the dealership after each school term.